In a unique Valentine’s Day celebration themed “Love Like no Other,” Nestlé Philippines is launching today its local implementation of the Nestlé Global Parental Support Policy first announced by Nestlé S.A. CEO Mark Schneider last December, in line with the commitment to enhance the quality of the lives of its employees by providing a more supportive and nurturing environment for new parents.
“Every family is unique, and therefore we support gender equality and diversity. The policy takes an inclusive approach, its standards based on caregiver status regardless of gender, and designed to address different family structures,” said Nestlé Philippines Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki, citing the rationale for the policy.
He added that the company, dedicated to being a family-friendly employer, is confident that the policy will enhance its existing commitment to be an equal-opportunity employer promoting diversity in the workplace.
Inclusive. Proceeding on the recognition that each family is unique, the Parental Support Policy has been designed to support all forms of family set-ups: biological or adoptive parents, including same-sex partners, single parents, and legal guardians.
Enhanced. The policy extends maternity leave from 15 weeks (105 days) to 18 weeks (126 days) of fully paid leave, allowing mothers/primary caregivers to be present in giving their children the best start in life. Further, the policy extends paternity leave from 9 days to 4 weeks of paid leave to promote parent-child bonding, recognizing the key role that fathers/secondary caregivers play in support of mothers/primary caregivers during the first few weeks after birth.
Nestlé Philippines SVP and HR Director Mitzie Antonio said that given the diversity of families, the company wants to further support its employees in their roles as parents, aiming to make Nestlé an even more inclusive and inspiring place to work in.
She noted that the policy reinforces employment protection, non-discrimination, health protection, breastfeeding support, and availability of flexible working options, building on Nestlé’s belief that providing a child a strong start gives them the best chance to thrive.
The policy is anchored on the Nestlé purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, starting within the organization. Its implementation in the country enhances the role of Nestlé Philippines in promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace, even as it provides greater benefits to new parents beyond legally mandated levels or industry standards. With the enhanced policy, the company is one of the first to extend paid parental leave to same-sex partners in the country.
The theme of the celebration, “Love Like no Other,” honors parental love with the new gender-neutral policy celebrating parental love in all forms, and signifies how Nestlé is a family-supportive employer. The Valentine’s Day celebration by the Nestlé community included new parents and the partners of expectant mothers and fathers as the highlights of the new policy were unveiled.
“Nestlé Philippines has always been at the forefront of providing extensive family care benefits, and we aim to continue this commitment to our employees. We believe that through the implementation of our Parental Support Policy in the country, we will be able to do our share to nurture Filipino families in our company by giving parents the chance to be truly present for their children during the first days of life,” Mr. Marzouki said.
Every family is unique, and therefore we support gender equality and diversity. The policy takes an inclusive approach, its standards based on caregiver status regardless of gender, and designed to address different family structures.